Bonnie Hunt, a former longtime professor at Southern Adventist University’s School of Nursing, passed away on Wednesday, March 30, after 45 years of service at Southern and almost two months after her 90th birthday. She was survived by two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren, according to previous School of Nursing Dean Barbara James.
James said Hunt began serving as a professor and upper division coordinator in the School of Nursing in 1977 and, after retirement in 1997, founded and coordinated the nursing student success program, Assisting Students to Achieve Professionally (ASAP), where she worked hourly until early January of 2022. She also guest lectured frequently during this time.
According to James, Hunt offered ASAP as an optional study aid to several nursing classes, including Fundamentals of Nursing and Adult Health I, II and III, holding biweekly tutoring sessions to help students review for their tests. She also offered tutoring for the NCLEX-RN.
At the group sessions, students would bring their books and notes, and Hunt would ask questions and draw on the whiteboard to review concepts taught in class. Hunt even held Saturday night study sessions several times when students requested extra help before facing big exams.
“Many students credit her with helping them get through,” James said.
Yet, Hunt’s goals for ASAP went further than helping students pass their exams, according to James.
“Assisting them to achieve professionally … goes beyond just passing the next test and passing NCLEX,” she said. “It’s truly helping to model what professionalism is and what a nursing professional … should be.”
James remembers Hunt as a “huge student advocate” who lived her Christianity with “amazing energy” and a passion for helping students. Hunt knew how to laugh with her students and used her knowledge and humor to bridge the generational gap.
Several students who knew Hunt responded to an Instagram poll with their own stories of Hunt’s influence in their lives.
Senior nursing student Hannah Cheneweth described Hunt as having a “kind and loving nature,” which “made a lasting impact on everyone she came into contact with.”
“One time I went to Bonnie’s house with a friend of mine who was getting tutoring from Bonnie individually,” Cheneweth said. “Bonnie opened up her home for us and even offered us food. She just wanted the best for each student she came into contact with, and I will never forget her lasting impact on my life as a future nurse.”
Another senior nursing student, Desther Camacho, said he knew Hunt from ASAP sessions.
“She helped us when we struggled,” Camacho said. “She was there to alleviate our stress, and after an ASAP session you would leave being a little more confident in the material.”
Hunt’s granddaughters, Cassie Williams and Krista Davis, described who Hunt was to them.
“It’s hard to put into words what she meant to us,” wrote Williams and Davis in a statement to the Accent. “While she invested so much into her nursing students, she put her all into being our Grandmama.
“From the time we were little, we loved being around her,” WIlliams and Davis continued. “We would hang out in her office, have sleepovers at her house and invite her to any event we were a part of. She was spunky, generous, accepting and always up for a good time. She saw the best in us, and we were always proud to let people know that, yes, Bonnie Hunt was our grandma. We already miss her dearly and can’t wait to see her again.”
Students and faculty at the School of Nursing celebrated Hunt’s 90th birthday about two months before her passing. Students wrote notes to Hunt and enjoyed cupcakes while wishing her happy birthday through FaceTime.
“It was very special because students just idolized her,” James said. “We all loved her.”
According to James, the School of Nursing had developed its Giving Day plans since late 2021 in honor of Hunt’s 90th birthday. The goal was to raise $90,000 from 900 donors to fund the purchase of new simulation equipment for the school. According to Southern’s Giving Day website, 497 donors contributed to the School of Nursing April 6 and 7, raising a total of $42,800.
Nursing professor Christine Moniyung acknowledged Hunt’s significant impact on her life and the School of Nursing in a written statement to the Accent.
“Bonnie Hunt has left behind a legacy,” Moniyung said. “She was a dear friend and mentor to me and many others. Her contributions to Southern and dedication to student success are beyond measure. I am blessed to have had Bonnie in my life and will miss her wit and wisdom.”
